Time Out

Sometimes we might feel guilty to take the time for ourselves. But if we don’t look after ourselves, we will never be able to take care of others and we’ll never be able to reach our full potential.

The airline analogy comes to mind, in times of turbulence, when the oxygen masks deploy, we have to put on our mask first – because only when we are stable can we help others.

It’s really tempting to skip the part of taking care of ourselves – especially if we live in a family or a fast-moving career or a highly demanding business – or if we are around others who are quite reliant on us, maybe even dependent on us. It’s really easy to feel guilty about taking that time out for ourselves – as though we’re not helping and we’re not contributing to those around us.

But if we look at it in a slightly different way, actually taking a step back, taking a time out for ourselves and giving ourselves space to breathe – this gives us more space, focus, and energy to interact better with others in a much healthier way. And hopefully, over time, those people will also learn to see that and appreciate the new way we interact with them.

So rather than feeling guilty and thinking of it as taking the time away from others, think of it as an opportunity to recharge and refocus – so that the people we seek to help will receive a person who is much more energized, ready to listen, and ready to be of help.